Sunday World reported that the committee apparently plans to disqualify Malinga's album, Robbie Malinga for failure to meet the awards' criteria due to some songs allegedly being "lifted" off other artists' albums.
"I don't know anything about that. Call RiSA [Recording Industry of SA] and ask them, they make the decisions mos. I don't know anything about that," he said.
Robbie Malinga has produced and collaborated with artists such as Musa, Kelly Khumalo and Naima Kay on songs that have become hits. He then released an album in 2016 titled The Duets that features all his collaborative work as well as new material.
A SAMA committee member, who anonymously spoke to Sunday World apparently claimed that the album shouldn't have been nominated in "the first place" as it "doesn't meet the prerequisite as such albums are, as per the set-out and standing rules, considered to be compilation albums".
RiSA CEO Nhlanhla Sibisi told TshisaLIVE that the panel would meet to discuss the album again in the wake of the complaint. He emphasised that there would be a full investigation into the eligibility of the album before any decision is made.
"A decision was made after debates and procedures to nominate the album, and the committee have not rebutted their original decision. They will meet again to discuss it in light of the complaint but we will not be pressured into doing a rushed job because the event is almost here," he explained.
Nhlanhla added that the if they found a reason, which warranted "disqualification" they would act upon it.
